Right after Archer's birthday, Jenn's parents came into town and we took advantage of Labor Day weekend to head down to Nauvoo. Somehow, we had lived here 3 years and had not yet visited!
First things first: by decree of the boys, we had to visit the Pioneer Game Pavilion before stopping anywhere else. Here's Sam trying some 10-pin bowling.
Ben and Grandpa Dave practicing the Acrobat sticks
Henry and Ellis racing to see who could get their wooden bear up the ropes to the ceiling fastest. Looks like Ellis has the lead here!
And Archer? Let's just say that Nauvoo isn't really an ideal place for a 1-year-old. He loved the games pavilion, but touring old houses wasn't really his thing. Instead, he just wanted to crawl in the grass all day.
This stick-and-ring game was awesome. The idea was to put your two sticks inside the ring pointed upwards, with the ring hanging at the base of them. Then you quickly spread your arms and it shoots the ring off towards the other person, how is supposed to catch it. We got it down after a little practice.
This game was another favorite. The idea is to make your opponent fall off their box by pulling on the rope. Somehow, Sam kept beating Grandpa Dave...
The boys desperately wanted to visit the homes of the prophets in order. Accordingly, John Taylor's home was our third stop of the day, since "John Taylor came third we know." Unfortunately, it made no sense to try to do this the whole trip, as we would have been zig-zagging all over Nauvoo to make it happen.
After visiting the games pavilion, John Taylor's home, the brick shop, the blacksmith shop, Brigham Young's home, and Browning Arms, it was time for dinner at the only real restaurant in town: Hotel Nauvoo. We didn't do a carriage ride, but snapped a picture of it just the same!
Sam would have made a beautiful pioneer woman
Here is where I pause to mention that we got the coolest AirBnB rental right on the Mississippi. It was so peaceful and the sunsets were just spectacular. The boys threw rocks in the water for at least an hour each night, as boys should.
But we couldn't just sit and watch the sunset all night, because Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo was calling! Watching the senior missionaries put on this play just might be the best part of Nauvoo. They were actually pretty good, and the boys really loved it!
Why put in this picture, when it is almost identical to the one before, you ask? Because you need to take a good look at this Elder and come to terms with the fact that this is what Paul Rigg is going to look like when he is retired and performing at Nauvoo. That's him right there.
On day two, we got up early to do a session at the Nauvoo temple while the boys stayed with Grandma Lori and Grandpa Dave. We were very happy to take a successful temple selfie.
There were long lines for the carriage rides, but no one was at the Ox Cart station. We jumped at the opportunity!
This is Dan and Duke, who are just gigantic animals. The boys were fully convinced that Dan was being lazy and making Duke pull the wagon all himself. Lazy Dan.
By this time, we needed some air conditioning. The Family Living Center was just the place! We let Archer wander around and pick things up and put them in the wrong spots while we...
...learned how to make rope!
The finished product. We also learned how they made bread and candles, but didn't snap any pictures of that.
Then it was time for the Trail of Hope. This is the walk down Parley's Street that the Pioneers took when they were forced to leave Nauvoo. As they walked, they could look back and see the temple on the hill. Along the way, there are plaques with journal entries from Saints about their experiences going west.
Backwards was the only way Archer was going to be contained for this part of the day.
Ellis and Sam pretending to be Joseph and Brigham planning the trek west
And here we have Henry and Ellis mimicking Hyrum and Joseph at Carthage. I sure hope these two grow up to support each other like Hyrum and Joseph did!
Back at the house, the boys collected all of these shells along the banks of the Mississippi. Who knew the Mississippi had shells?
Our trip ended with another idyllic sunset on the Mississippi.
